Portable barricades



'Aug. 21, 1956 H. HAUSER PORTABLE BARRICADES Filed Aug. 2, 1954 w m m INVENTOR.

BY fifia 6 United States Patent PORTABLE BARRICADES Herman Hauser, Chicago, Ell.

Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,008

1 Claim. (Cl. 256-64) My invention relates to barricades used on roads and highways to space off areas for repair or emergency stops, such barricades usually carrying warning lights at night. Usually, barricades of the type under consideration are furnished or placed by a construction or repair man for the benefit of motorists or persons in the vicinity of the place which is spaced 01f. However, it is now the custom and in some communities mandatoryfor drivers of trucks to set up flares or other warning means on highways in case of delays, accidents or repairs, which is an indication that the responsibility of warning the public of emergencies on highways may be extended to drivers of motor cars. While flares or lights may serve as suitable warnings at night, I have found no appreciable means available to motorists for use in the daytime in case an area is to be spaced off because of an accident, repair or other emergency, and it is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a space-defining unit in the form of a barricade which any motorists may set up in short order when needed.

A further object is to provide a barricade which is readily portable and of a nature to be carried along by the motorist.

Another object is to design the novel barricade in a manner to be quickly gathered up or collapsed to a size suitable for keeping in the luggage compartment of a motor car.

An additional object is to construct the novel barricade along lines of simplicity, in order that its manufacturing cost may be reasonable.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of the improved barricade as extended;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end portion of the barricade;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the barricade in the telescoped form, taken on the section line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification; and

Fig. 5 is a frontal end view of the upper portion of Fig. 4.

In accordance with the foregoing, specific reference to the drawing indicates the preferred form of barricade as a tubular structure assembled from a series of telescopically fitted sections 10. These are of circular crosssection and made with a slight taper designed to engage the sections in rigid form when they have been extended as shown in Fig. 1. The tapered fit of the sections in such event will prevent them from being pulled to excess or out of each other. The sections ordinarily would be about six inches in diameter and two feet long, so that the barricade would extend approximately six feet when set up.

The barricade as described above is designed to be set up on a set of legs 12. These come in divergent pairs, one at each end of the barricade. Thus, the end por- 2,759,707 Fatah-ted Aug. 21, 1956 tions of the barricade are made with downwardly projecting lugs 13 which are perforated transversely. The legs 12 have upright bends 15 at the top, which are perforated in registration with the perforation in the lug 13. A bolt 16, intermediate washers 17, and a securing wing nut 18 then are employed to secure each set of legs to the barricade, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

It will now be apparent that a barricade of the type just described may be set up behind or in front of a motor car in case of an accident, repair or other emergency to direct traflic away from the barricaded site. Of course, it is understood that a lantern or flare may be used in connection with the barricade at night; or, the barricade may be painted with a luminous coating to reflect light from approaching motor cars and thus become easily visible. When the use of the barricade has ended, it may be gathered into collapsed form quickly, the wing nuts loosened, and the legs folded under, making the bundle small enough to be deposited in the luggage compartment.

The modification of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 deals with a set of plates 20 formed with top and bottom flanges 21. The inner faces of the flanges of the largest section are undercut, as shown at 22; and the flanges of the succeeding sections are shaped to suit, so that the sections may rest in each other, as shown in Fig. 6, when the barricade is gathered up. The legs of the modified barricade may be applied in the same manner as in the preferred structure. One advantage of the modified structure is its flat form for purposes of compact storage and transportation, and a prominent surface for marking and indication, such as slow or stop.

It will now be apparent that the improved barricade is an accessory which provides a readily available safety factor when a motorist makes an emergency stop on the highway or in any other area from which traffic should be diverted. In such event, it is a simple matter for the motorist to take the barricades out of the luggage compartment of the car as easily as he would remove a jack of any other tool, and set the same up in the view of following traflic. Or, he could have a pair of the barricades stored in the luggage compartment, one for placement at the rear of his car, and the other at the front, so that traffic from both directions would be warned. Finally, it is apparent that the novel barricade is constructed along lines of simplicity, so that it may be produced at reasonable cost.

While I have described the invention and its modifications along specific lines, various minor changes or refinements may be made therein without departing from its principle, and I reserve the right to employ all such changes and refinements as may come within the scope and spirit of the appended claim.

I claim:

A barricade for defining a restricted area comprising a series of tubular telescoped sections of approximately equal length, said sections being tapered to provide different sized end portions for wedgingly engaging said sections when extended, pendent lugs carried by the outer end portions of the terminal sections, pairs of legs pivoted on bolts passing through said lugs for movement between upstanding and folded positions, and wing nuts applied to said bolts to fix said pairs of legs in the stated positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,633,000 Culver June 21, 1927 1,691,926 Geiser Nov. 20, 1928 1,794,434 Adams Mar. 3, 1931 1,798,548 McCurdy Mar. 31, 1931 

